90-year-old man dies in Poulsbo house fire Thursday afternoon

POULSBO — A 90-year-old man died Thursday in a fire at his home, despite efforts by two young men to save him.

Ben Johnson and friend Will Clay, who both are 19 and live next door to the man on the 1400 block of Odin Lane, noticed smoke shortly before 5 p.m.

"Will broke down the back door, and I got in the front door," Johnson said. "The whole house was covered in smoke."

The two located the man in the kitchen but were unable to reach him because of the flames.

"We tried to suppress the fire with a garden hose," Johnson said. "We just did the best with what we had."

Their "best" was enough to contain the blaze until Poulsbo Fire Department crews arrived five minutes after the fire was reported, according to department spokeswoman Jody Matson.

"It was a long five minutes," said Johnson, who knew the man well. "It's just such a huge loss for my family."

According to Matson, the man's 58-year-old son, who owns a house in Ballard, lives at the house during the week. He last saw his father in the morning, as he left for work. The 90-year-old also has a caregiver who was not there when the fire broke out.

"He was home alone," Matson said.

The coroner confirmed the man's death on the scene. The Kitsap County fire marshal is investigating the cause.

Officials have not released a name.

The man was well known in the community, a jazz musician, Matson said. According to Johnson, he only hung up his bass a couple of years ago. He also was a singer and Navy veteran of World War II.